The British Post office soon realised that it would be a good business move to allow the general public to purchase stamps in places other than post offices. There were many objections to other outlets selling stamps, mainly involving the threat of fraud and the need to issue a commission to the merchants. It was finally decided that an automated system was needed and designs were put forward for dispensing machinery.

A poached egg stamp

The process was completed by around 1905 and these machines, as well as providing stamps away from post office sites, could be used outside of normal working hours. The poached Egg stamps, as they became known, were used for testing the machines in a number of ways. They were issued in Booklets of eight stamps for testing booklet machines, and more commonly for issuing single stamps, dispensed from a large coil.

The poached egg gained its name from the printed design of the green issue, which was said to resemble a poached egg. The stamp was also produced in grey with the message “For testing purposes only” written across the middle. They were never intended for public use, although, as always seems to happen in the philatelic world, many did escape to the public. There were not valid for postage and very few exist on cover.

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